Jaipur, May 24 (IANS) Delhi Capitals ended their Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 campaign on a high with a six-wicket win over Punjab Kings in Jaipur, chasing down a formidable 207-run target with three balls to spare at the Sawai Mansingh Stadium here on Saturday. The star of the night was 21-year-old Sameer Rizvi, who struck a brilliant unbeaten half-century to steer DC home, finishing the match in style with a maximum over long-on.
Earlier in the day, Punjab Kings opted for an aggressive approach in their must-win clash for a top-two finish.
Put in to bat, Shreyas Iyer’s PBKS lost Priyansh Arya early, but Prabhsimran Singh and Josh Inglis stitched a quick 47-run partnership to set the tone for a challenging total. Inglis smashed 32 off just 12 balls, while Prabhsimran kept the scoreboard ticking with his usual flair.
Captain Shreyas Iyer led the way in the middle overs, anchoring the innings with a composed 53 off 34 balls. Iyer’s knock held the innings together as wickets fell around him. But it was Marcus Stoinis who provided the finishing flourish, hammering an unbeaten 44 off just 16 balls.
The powerful Australian all-rounder punished Mohit Rathee in the penultimate over with 6, 4, 4, 6 to lift PBKS past the 200-run mark. Punjab ended with 206/8, their seventh 200+ total of the season.
DC’s bowlers did well to contain PBKS at various stages. Mustafizur Rahman was the pick of the lot, picking up 3 for 33 in his four overs. All his wickets came via catches taken by keeper Tristan Stubbs, who replaced the dropped Abishek Porel. Kuldeep Yadav and Vipraj Nigam chipped in with two wickets each, while Mukesh Kumar picked one.
Chasing 207, Delhi Capitals got off to a flying start as openers KL Rahul and Faf du Plessis raced to 55 runs in the Power-play. Rahul looked in fine touch with a 21-ball 35 before falling to Marco Jansen. Du Plessis was dismissed soon after, and DC were 61/2 at the end of the sixth over.
Karun Nair and Sediqullah Atal then steadied the chase with a useful 28-run partnership. Atal was dismissed by Praveen Dubey, and Nair, after a fluent 44, was caught off Harpreet Brar while attempting a sweep. At 122/4, Delhi needed something special—and they found it in Sameer Rizvi.
Playing with composure beyond his years, Rizvi counter-attacked and dominated the final phase of the chase. He built a crucial stand with Tristan Stubbs and then took charge after Stubbs’ departure. Rizvi brought up his maiden IPL fifty and ensured Delhi didn’t falter at the death. His clean hitting and game awareness stood out as he finished on 52* off just 24 deliveries.
For Punjab, Harpreet Brar was the most effective bowler, taking 2 for 41. But with Jansen, Dubey, and the rest unable to contain the late onslaught, DC got home with six wickets in hand and three balls remaining.
With this win, Delhi Capitals concluded their season with 15 points, already bowing out of the playoff race but ending on a positive note.
For PBKS, the defeat is a massive blow to their top-two hopes, leaving their qualification fate hanging by a thread.
Brief scores:
Punjab Kings 206/8 in 20 overs (Shreyas Iyer 53, Marcus Stoinis 44; Mustafizur Rahman 3-33, Vipraj Nigam 2-38) lost to Delhi Capitals 208/4 in 19.3 overs (Sameer Rizvi 58 not out, Karun Nair 44; Harpreet Brar 2-41, Praveen Dubey 1-20) by six wickets.
–IANS
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